Remembering Light
by Koukoi1412
Summary: "We ransacked the entire library, kept half the palace awake, and plastered two weeks of sleepless nights onto your face. Think we could raid a dungeon next?" Oneshot. Alikou friendship.


"So this is the Kou Palace Library. It's enormous!"

Alibaba, Kougyoku, and Ka Koubun, accompanied by members of the economic committee, set out to rebuild what was once the grand empire of Kou. The fastest way, Alibaba advises, would be to secure a sufficient knowledge base of the present circumstances and any similar instances in the past, and from there formulate innovations to boost the dying economy. Pressed for time and unsure of where else to start, the library is their best option.

A maze of hallways stretches out ahead, each boasting a year's worth of reading in store. They're facing an impossible mess no less complicated than the medium at Magnostadt, but Kougyoku refuses to be intimidated. Alibaba's here and he promised to help. Together, they'll wade through this information labyrinth and triumph.

The great doors creak open. Ages of dust, insect cradles, torn pages, haphazard stacks, and unsorted piles await. It's a monumental task, and more than once she questions the sanity of the whole endeavor.

Alibaba walks to the nearest shelf and picks out a decent-sized scroll. Dust flies up, clouding the stuffy air. Ka Koubun sneezes.

"I didn't realize this place was neglected this much..." Kougyoku muses sadly. "When Kouen onii-sama was still around, this was his favorite part of the palace."

Alibaba frowns. Whether in accusation or regret, none can tell.

Ka Koubun sneezes again.

"Well, now that we're here, Alibaba-chan, where do we start?" There's enthusiasm in Kougyoku's voice, but it's hollow. In reality, the prospect of digging through a thousand volumes of information terrifies her.

Alibaba plants his hands on the table, fills his lungs, and points to a box stuffed with rolls of paper. Judging by the lack of cobwebs and the careless manner several have spilled onto the floor, the contents must be fairly recent. "First let's assess the situation in the nearby towns. We need a clear picture of the financial woes plaguing Rakushou - the scope of the damage, the effect on the population, and information about any surviving industries. From there, we can move on to the other provinces, then overseas trade, and then..."

The determination on his face brings her back to golden times, when they were prince and princess arguing over Balbadd's future. He never backed down, and she never before had to fight so hard. A wan smile creeps into her face, the first genuine one in years. Alibaba's here and he promised to help pull her out of this nightmare.

"Everyone, the fate of Kou depends on us! I'm counting on you all to do your best!" This is Kougyoku's first real speech since her coronation, and it's charged with newfound optimism.

Off they go to plunder the halls, and within minutes they manage to scramble together enough documents to keep them up until midnight. For hours, all that can be heard is the steady flipping of pages and the scratch of reed pens.

Afternoon blends into twilight. Before they know it, the sun has set and it's time for the evening meal. Kougyoku chokes down dinner, rubbing weary eyes.

Beside her, Alibaba's gaze is fixed on a page. She offers him food, but he declines, claiming he has a hundred more paragraphs to skim through.

"Let him be," grunts Ka Koubun. The day's task has left him thoroughly worn out, and it's with no little frustration that he spears the chicken on his plate.

Kougyoku can't help but feel ashamed. Everyone's working hard, especially Alibaba. So far, he's doing a better job at being emperor than she ever could; even now, he achieved more in one day than she ever did in twelve months.

 _Tomorrow,_ she thinks, _I'll read till my eyes bleed. There will be no rest until we restore Kou to its former glory. My brothers sacrificed everything to save Kou; and so will I!_

Tomorrow comes and goes, then the next day, and the next. She's nearly buried alive a couple of times when, in her eagerness, she reaches an inch too far and whole shelves crash down like the crumbling ruins of her empire. Ka Koubun nearly trips in his rush to fish her out, but Alibaba always manages to reach her first.

A dozen books later, her eyes are almost the color of her hair. The pages scramble in her mind, but it's not until the words begin to swim round swinging paragraphs, that she finally sets down her book and rests her eyes. It's been an exhausting afternoon and all she has to show for it is an exploding headache.

Nights fall into a pattern. Several futons lie in a corner, so all they need to do is crawl to their mattress and dissolve into sound snores.

Sleep comes easily, but dreams are not always kind. One brief nap, and the Kanan Plains stretch across her dreamscape. Her vision fills with dead bodies, citizens on protest, and a parade of accusing fingers. Her father rises from his deathbed to berate her for being useless. They're right, she knows, and it hurts. What kind of emperor hasn't a clue of what's going on?

She grits her teeth to shake away such thoughts. Now is not the time for cowardly regret. Now is the time for warriors to fight.

She awakens to find the sun missing from the sky. A glance at the corner reveals a snoring Ka Koubun.

"Ahhh...so that's why coffee was invented!" Alibaba remarks, stretching out his hands after what felt like an eternity of flipping through _The Annals of Emperor Koutoku._

"So, how was it? Did you learn anything useful?" Kougyoku asks, voice hoarse with the dredges of sleep. They must have made much progress, if the messy state of her hairloops are to judge by.

"A little," he yawns. His hair is no less disheveled; she fights a sudden urge to smooth out those golden strands.

He blinks.

"You should rest now, Alibaba-chan. Thank you for working so hard all day." _Sorry for putting you through this._

"Shouldn't you be sleeping, too? You've been so hard on yourself this past week." Typical Alibaba. Always concerned about everyone else but himself. Even more than a certain brother it hurts to remember.

"I guess a library is a tougher battlefield than I ever imagined. My respect for Kouen onii-sama went up a notch since we set foot here." Her voice falters. The pain is still too raw.

Neither of them speak. In some way, Alibaba blames himself for this mess. But he's not the only one with questions. And she doesn't have all the answers.

"Didn't you visit here, before I returned?" he asks gently.

"No. Not once. Never." She looks away.

He gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It'a alright. I understand. You were too busy."

She's fighting tears now. Why is it that whenever her friend drops by, she ends up breaking down?

"Yes, I was." Her voice wavers for a second before she catches herself. "Busy running away, hiding in fantasies that my brothers are back and I'm just a girl weaving flower crowns or picking fights with Judal-chan. Busy daydreaming of the old times. When life wasn't full of lies. I'm such a pathetic ruler, aren't I?" She lowers her head, embarrassed because she's whining like a child and where oh where is a handkerchief when you need it?

"We had so much fun back in Sindria, don't you think?" he says, leaving her question unanswered. "That was around...three...four years ago?" Nostalgia paints his face serene in the candlelight. A former prince and a former princess sit side by side, absorbed in their thoughts. The past opens up like a book, inviting them to relive memories of sun and sea.

Kougyoku breaks the silence. "You know, there's one more thing I regret about my stay in Sindria."

"Oh? Aside from Sinbad using...uhh..." He won't mention Zepar, but he might as well have.

"It's okay. I can handle it." She forces a shaky smile to reassure him before continuing. "Remember that day when I showed you my first flower crown? I challenged you to a sparring match. But we never got to duel. I just wonder sometimes, what if it was you I fought that day?"

"If I were the one in Sinbad's place, you'd have easily beat me. I hadn't mastered full equip yet!"

"And now our metal vessels are gone. What a shame." Depression fills her chest. She misses Vinea.

Alibaba glances at her downcast face. Broken eyes peer back.

"Well, we ransacked the entire library, kept half the palace awake, and plastered two weeks of sleepless nights onto your face. Think we could raid a dungeon next?" He points to the open window with a conspiratory wink. Let's jump, he mouths, and she's done for.

She giggles into her sleeve, clutching her heaving belly. She should have expected that. He's always had a knack for turning a dire situation around. They bear the weight of a nation on their shoulders, but here he is, joking about sneaking out the window like a pair of naughty children.

"Vinea would be so jealous," she protests. "And Ka Koubun would have a heart attack!"

"It doesn't have to be a dungeon, if you prefer. Any balcony is fine. The night air will do wonders for your hair. Here, hold on, I'll give you a lift."

Hoisting himself over the ledge, he shakes off dust, then extends his hand with a boyish grin.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" There it is, a beam of Sindrian sunshine. The same one that took her flowers and replaced them with a crown.

She's draws in her sleeve, clamping down a fresh wave of giggles because the situation is downright ridiculous.

"Why do we need to pass through the window? Why can't we use the door?"

"You don't want to wake up the others, do you? Besides, it's more fun this way."

 _Fun?_ If anything, it's dreadfully improper. But these are times of national emergency, so...probably no one would mind. She grabs his hand, and he pulls her over. Out here, the air is suffused with the fragrance of jasmine from the terrace several yards away. She pauses to catch her breath before sinking into grass.

They sit and chat, two friends, two shadows in the moonlight. So much is spoken, so much more left unsaid. They've won, they've lost, they've made tons of mistakes along the way. Kougyoku takes a look within and sees her sins piled up like broken shells above the tide, begging for a wave to carry them to oblivion. Alibaba smiles, but his laughter isn't entirely free of regret.

"I think I understand how you felt about Balbadd," Kougyoku says. "Your country was in decline, and you held yourself responsible. There wasn't much you could do but you did every last thing in your power to help. That includes kicking me out."

"Wha-aat?! When did I?" he nearly shouts in surprise.

"Don't you remember our first conversation? After your brother was deposed? You practically shooed me back home!"

"Oh, that? It couldn't be helped. In my eyes, you were a threat to my homeland. I couldn't just sit by and watch Kou strip my people of their rights!"

"And now you're here trying to save that very country you despised."

"Ah. We've come a long way since then." Alibaba's voice sounds so mature, so wise. It's a far cry from those impulsive shouts that still echo in her memory.

"Ne, Alibaba-chan, what would have happened if you got Balbadd back? If the war had gone the other way. If uh..." She stops and stares at her feet, wishing she had painted her cheeks some thick shade of red.

"If we got married?" he fills in.

"Yes, yes, if that happened," comes her barely audible squeak. She sucks in air, struggling to regain composure. It wouldn't do for an empress to be flustered so easily.

He ponders for a few moments before replying. "Who knows? Destiny is a mysterious thing. Two people can be the best of friends one day and enemies the next."

She recognizes the faraway look in his eyes. It's what graces her face when she looks in the mirror. _Bittersweet_.

"In our case, it's the opposite!" he continues in a more lively tone. "We were enemies but now we're the best of friends!"

To describe Kougyoku's emotions now would be like grasping a rainbow. There's too many shades dancing around for her to discern the colors. But there's one she knows all too well.

Gratitude.

 _Alibaba-chan, I'm so glad I met you._

The next morning finds her wrestling with a heap of scrolls four feet high. To her right, Alibaba shifts in his seat, glaring somberly at rows of documents piled on the table. It's hours of grueling work ahead as they race against time to solve the puzzle of revitalizing Kou's economy.

Ka Koubun staggers in, dragging a huge bundle of reports from the surrounding trading posts. A collective groan rises from the room's occupants. They're doomed.

Alibaba rises to his feet. "Everyone, let's do our best!"

Kou is not out of the woods yet and Aladdin is still missing, but the cheer in his voice is real.

Kougyoku knows that sound. It's hope's heartbeat.

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a girl who asked for the stars. The sky taught her to cry, and crystallized each shimmering droplet into jewels scattered across the horizon.

Once there was a girl who asked for the moon. The night painted her sorrows, etching grief on her face. She was beautiful.

Once there was a girl who forgot to ask. "I just want to protect those precious people entrusted to my care." She forged onward, fighting until everything was stripped away. At last the heavens took pity.

They gave her the sun.


End file.
